Tunneling apparatus



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 D. A. SANTA MARIA TUNNELING APPARATUS Nov. 8, 1966 Filed Feb. 24, 1965 //VVE/VTOR 04 lEL AUGUST SANTA MAR/4 By 1966 D. A. SANTA MARIA TUNNELING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 24, 1965 IN l/ENTOR m M .M N M N w U A L m m United States Patent Ofiice 3,283,877 Patented Nov. 8, 1966 3,283,877 TUNNELING APPARATUS Daniel August Santa Maria, 172 Marin Ave., Pittsburg, (Ialif. Filed Feb. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 434,945 6 Claims. (Cl. 1987) This invention is directed to material handling apparatus and particularly improvements in tunneling apparatus. An object of the invention is to provide an open ended shovel so mounted as to pick up material and dump it onto a self-contained endless conveyor to move it rearwardly for deposit.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a material handling apparatus an open ended shovel on an elongated mounting means having a power conveyor wherein the mounting means is power operated to move the shovel forward and upwardly to pick up material and tip it backwardly onto the self-contained power conveyor all of which is moved rearwardly in an orbit from a forward to a rear position for depositing the material to the rear.

A further object of the invention is to provide a material handling apparatus that is elongated and is adapted to project into a tunnel and pick up material and be moved to the rear along with the material, all without the use of gear mechanism but with track guiding mechanism.

Still further objects and the entire scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific example is given by way of illustration only and, while indicating a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is not given by way of limitation, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

For a more detailed description, reference may be had to the drawings and the claims which follow.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a top planned view of the apparatus in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the tracks and a roller along line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a line diagram showing the relative position of the rollers A and B in their relative positions according to the dipper stick in their movement in their guiding tracks.

Throughout the description like reference numbers refer to similar parts. A framework is generally indicated at and it is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and for transport on a mobile unit generally indicated at 11 which may have as illustratively shown, a pair of endless tracks 1212 for supporting same on the ground.

The frame 10 comprises a base platform 13 from which on opposite sides there extends upwardly vertical frame members 14 with oppositely disposed members 14 connected at their tops by cross members 14a. On the inside face of the upright frame members 14 there is supported a pair of spaced apart rails making up oppositely disposed tracks generally indicated at 15. The oppositely disposed tracks face each other and each track is oriented in a vertical plane so as to receive rollers disposed on a horizontal axis. Each track has a generally extended horizontal portion 16 which extends from the forward end to the rear end of the frame 10 and a semielliptical depending portion 17 which extends from a position spaced in from the leading end of the horizontal track portion 16 to a position about midway the length of the track portion 16. There is a leading switch in each of the tracks at 18 which is biased to closed position by a spring 19 that holds it in its closed position about a pivot 20. A trailing switch 21 is in each track at the juncture of the rear portion of the semielliptical tracks 17 and the horizontal track portion 16.

The trailing switch 21 is pivoted at 22 and spring biased opened by the spring 23 attached at one end to the frame 10 and at the other end to a portion of the switch 21. This switch 21 is at the juncture of the trailing portion of the semielliptical track section or portion and its juncture with about the mid portion of the horizontal track portion 16.

An elongated dipper stick is generally indicated at 30 and is comprised of a pair of spaced apart elongated frame members 31 connected together by spacer members 32 spaced therealong throughout its length. An idler roller 33 is mounted adjacent the leading end on a pivot shaft 34 while a drive roller 35 is mounted on a cross shaft 36 at the trailing or rear end of the dipper stick 30. Over these rollers 33 and 35 is trailed an endless belt 37 for carrying material to the rear that is deposited thereon as will be explained. A drive pulley 38 is mounted on the shaft 36, see FIG. 2, and is driven by a belt 39 leading to a motor 40 carried by the dipper stick framework 30. Attached to the forward end of the dipper stick is an open ended shovel generally indicated at 41 and it projects from the forward end of the dipper stick and is mounted thereon by spaced brackets 42. The dipper stick proper has a pair of oppositely disposed rolling or sliding pivot wheels or portions 42 mounted in a slightly spaced distance from the rear end or trailing end of the dipper stick on a cross shaft 43. Just forward of the mid-section there is another pair of pivot rollers 44 suitably supported by a cross shaft not shown.

Movement of the dipper stick is controlled by a pusher or servo motor generally indicated at 50 which may be of the fluid type having a cylinder 51 pivotally mounted at 52 on the base platform 13. A piston portion 53 of the pusher means 50 is pivotally attached at 54 to a depending framework 55 on the dipper stick 30.

Reference to FIG. 4 shows the relative position of the rear rollers 42 here indicated at B and the forward rollers 44 here indicated at A supporting the dipper stick and their movement in supporting the dipper stick throughout its orbiting.

Reference to FIG. 1 shows that as the dipper stick is moved forward and upwardly, it will contact the track switch 18 which is biased closed in its normal position and will pivot it upward to open position so that the rollers 44 may pass thereby and move to the forward end portion of the generally horizontal track portion 16. The rear rollers 42 do not move out of the horizontal track portion 16 but move back and forth therein in the rear portion thereof. The maximum rear position of the rear rollers 42 is shown in FIG. 1. As the dipper stick 30' is moved to its forwardmost position, the track 18 closes so that as the dipper stick is moved to the rear. the rollers 44 follow the horizontal track portion 16 and move past the rear switch 21, closing same so as to be in alignment with the horizontal portion of the track 16 and having passed the switch 21, it is pivoted to open position under the influence of spring 23. As the power means 50 is extended for another orbit the forward rollers 44 then move down into the generally semielliptical portion 17 of the track 15 to permit the shovel 41 to pick up another load of material as it is moved forwardly and upwardly to scoop same up. As the shovel reaches its highest position it becomes tilted up with the whole dipper stick 30 and the material therein slides out its rear end into the power conveyor 37 by which it is transported rearwardly both by the conveyor and by movement of the dipper stick so that it drops off its rear end onto other suitable means such as a further power conveyor generally indicated at This material handling or tunneling device has relatively few moving parts. It is without any gears as respects the material handling apparatus and is easily maintained and constructed. It provides a very useful material handling apparatus for scooping up material and moving it in line with the apparatus. The apparatus is particularly adapted for tunneling wherein the shovel may be moved into the tunnel, picks up material and elevates it as it picks it up and deposits it on a self-contained portable conveyor which moves it to the rear not only by the power conveyor movement but by also the relative movement of the whole material handling apparatus. Any other type of handling apparatus such as shown at 60 may be used for transporting the material away from the tunneling apparatus.

I claim as my invention:

1. A tunneling machine comprising in combination, track means disposed in a generally vertical plane; elongated dipper stick means having a powered conveyor extending therealong having a pair of spaced sliding pivot means supporting the dipper stick means in said track means for movement therealong and an open ended shovel attached to a leading end of said dipper stick means; said track means having a generally horizontal run portion and a generally semielliptical run portion depending from the horizontal portion and having a leading end joining with the horizontal portion at a position spaced in a relatively short distance from the leading end while the trailing end joins with the horizontal portion at a position spaced in a relatively long distance from the trailing end of the hori zontal portion, a track switch means at each juncture of the generally semielliptical track portion with the horizontal portion, the leading end switch being biased to a closed position whereby movement of a sliding pivot means from the semielliptical portion opens the switch and permits the sliding pivot means to move to the leading end of the horizontal track and the switch closes thereafter while the other switch is biased to open position in said horizontal portion whereby the leading sliding pivot means on backward movement in the horizontal portion closes the rearward switch and permits passage of the sliding pivot means along the horizontal track portion while forward movement of said forward sliding pivot means strikes said open switch and is directed into the trailing end of the depending elliptical track portion; and a power means attached to the dipper stick means for 4: moving the same whereupon the open ended shovel is moved upwardly and forwardly to pick up a load and tips backwardly permitting its load to slide out its rear end onto said conveyor for further transporting rearwardly off the trailing end of said endless conveyor.

2. A tunneling machine according to claim 1 including mobile means supporting said track means for rotation about a vertical axis and over the ground.

3. A tunneling machine according to claim 1 wherein said track means comprises an elongated frame and oppositely disposed spaced apart track portions facing each other and said dipper stick means has a sliding pivot means on opposite sides received within said track portions.

4. A tunneling machine according to claim 3 wherein said elongated frame comprises an elongated platform, a plurality of spaced apart upstanding support members along each side on which said oppositely disposed spaced apart track portions facing each other are supported and cross members connecting the upper ends of the oppositely disposed upstanding support members.

5. A tunneling machine according to claim 4 wherein said power means attached to the dipper stick means is a fluid operated cylinder and piston pivoted at one to said frame adjacent the platform thereof and at the other end to 'said dipper stick means.

6. A tunneling machine according to claim 5 wherein said dipper stick means comprises a pair of spaced apart elongated side frame members, spacer members extending between said side frame members and said power conveyor thereof comprises an idler pulley at the leading end, a power driven pulley at the trailing end, an endless belt trained over said pulleys and a motor means on the dipper stick means driving said pulley at the trailing end.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,466,917 9/1923 Smith 214 References Cited by the Applicaut UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,176,419 3/1916 Alleman. 1,509,646 9/1924 French. 1,958,269 5/1934 Green.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

A. J. MAKAY, Assistant Examiner, 

1. A TUNNELING MACHINE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, TRACK MEANS DISPOSED IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL PLANE; ELONGATED DIPPER STICK MEANS HAVING A POWERED CONVEYOR EXTENDING THEREALONG HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED SLIDING PIVOT MEANS SUPPORTING THE DIPPER STICK MEANS IN SAID TRACK MEANS FOR MOVEMENT THEREALONG AND AN OPEN ENDED SHOVEL ATTACHED TO A LEADING END OF SAID DIPPER STICK MEANS; SAID TRACK MEANS HAVING A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL RUN PORTION AND A GENERALLY SEMIELLIPTICAL RUN PORTION DEFENDING FROM THE HORIZONTAL PORTION AND HAVING A LEADING END JOINING WITH THE HORIZONTAL PORTION AT A POSITION SPACED IN RELATIVELY SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE LEADING END WHILE THE TRAILING END JOINS WITH THE HORIZONTAL PORTION AT A POSITION SPACED IN A RELATIVELY LONG DISTANCE FROM THE TRAILING END OF THE HORIZONTAL PORTION, A TRACK SWITCH MEANS AT EACH JUNCTURE OF THE GENERALLY SEMIELLIPTICAL TRACK PORTION WITH THE HORIZONTAL PORTION, THE LEADING END SWITCH BEING BIASED TO A CLOSED POSITION WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF A SLIDING PIVOT MEANS FROM THE SEMIELLIPTICAL PORTION OPENS THE SWITCH AND PERMITS THE SLIDING PIVOT MEANS TO MOVE TO THE LEADING END OF THE HORIZONTAL TRACK AND THE SWITCH CLOSES THEREAFTER WHILE THE OTHER SWITCH IS BIASED TO OPEN POSITION SAID HORIZONTAL PORTION WHEREBY THE LEADING SLIDING PIVOT MEANS ON BACKWARD MOVEMENT IN THE HORIZONTAL PORTION CLOSES THE REARWARD SWITCH AND PERMITS PASSAGE OF THE SLIDING PIVOT MEANS ALONG THE HORIZONTAL TRACK PORTION WHILE FORWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID FORWARD SLIDING PIVOT MEANS STRIKES SAID OPEN SWITCH AND IS DIRECTED INTO THE TRAILING END OF THE DEPENDING ELLIPTICAL TRACK PORTION; AND A POWER MEANS ATTACHED TO THE DIPPER STICK MEANS FOR MOVING THE SAME WHEREUPON THE OPEN ENDED SHOVEL IS MOVED UPWARDLY AND FORWARDLY TO PICK UP A LOAD AND TIPS BACKWARDLY PERMITTING ITS LOAD TO SLIDE OUT ITS REAR END ONTO SAID CONVEYOR FOR FURTHER TRANSPORTING REARWARDLY OFF THE TRAILING END OF SAID ENDLESS CONVEYOR. 